VIDEO: Union protest in Sheffield calls for fast-food workers’ to get £10 per hour

George Torr

A union has called for the end to ‘exploitative’ zero hours contracts and that workers receive a £10 per hour minimum wage.

The Bakers Food and Allied Workers’ Union (BFAWU) alongside other groups, held a protest outside McDonald’s in Sheffield city centre calling for better working conditions, pay and the introduction of fixed hours contracts.

Protesters McDonald's in Sheffield city centre calling for better working conditions, pay and the introduction of fixed hours contracts.

Around 40 protesters, which included members of Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) handed out leaflets to passing shoppers in the run up to the 2015 general election.

Sam Vickers, regional organiser of BFAWU, said: “This protest is primarily about McDonald’s who employ 90 per cent of their employees on zero hours contracts and have an average wage of £5 per hour.

“We are in a ludicrous situation where we have people not only in McDonald’s, but in Starbucks, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken who are on zero hours contracts and the state are having to pay in work benefits.

“People in Sheffield can’t live on these types of wages and contracts and that’s why we are here.”

Protesters McDonald's in Sheffield city centre calling for better working conditions, pay and the introduction of fixed hours contracts.

A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “We respect the right to protest outside our restaurants, but we ask that this is carried out peacefully and is not disruptive to our customers and employees.

“All employees start on more than the National Minimum Wage, which we will always fully support.

“Every McDonald’s employee is on a permanent contract and all qualify for a range of benefits including holiday and sick pay, employee discounts, as well as a full suite of training, recognition and development programmes.

On the issue of zero hours contracts McDonald’s added that they ‘do not exploit’ employees and no worker is ‘on call’.